


Adrift - Caught in the Undertow

by frostfalcon



Series: Adrift [2]
Category: White Collar
Genre: M/M, Multi, Pre-OT3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 04:30:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9219122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostfalcon/pseuds/frostfalcon
Summary: A little more of what happened after Adrift. This one fills in some of what happens before Neal finds where he fits. There are original characters but you can see where I'm going with this, so be patient (like you haven't already waited years, sorry). There will be at least one more story to get to where I'm going but this one has been sitting long enough.  It'll end up OT3... P/E/N or how ever else you want to call it.





	

Started 11/4/2013  
This part finished 1/5/2017

Jerry headed back to the hotel room where he had left Neal, he knew it was in bad form and totally wrong to walk out like that. He had been so frustrated that Neal wouldn’t let him take him just a little further, when Neal had called his safe word it was so hard to just stop, so yeah, he took a swat or two more and then left. He had to get away and cool off, it hadn’t gone at all like he was hoping. Neal was beautiful, responsive, and almost perfect and Jerry had probably just tossed it all away with his impulsive reaction to what had felt like rejection at the time.

He got back to the room to find it empty, Neal had left and now it was going to be harder to salvage any hope of trying again. He could at least try to come up with some sort of explanation that didn’t make him out to be a total dick, hopefully that would be enough to keep Neal from saying anything about him and ruining his chances for finding another play partner. He thought about what to say and got out his phone, it had to be perfect. Neal’s number went right to voice mail and that was fine. It was easier to leave a well thought out message than try to think on the fly and say something wrong and make things worse.

“Neal, it’s Jerry I’m calling to say I’m sorry. I've never had anyone safe word on me before and I totally panicked when you did. I freaked out and ran, I know that I can’t make it up too you but until that point I thought you were really into our scene. I’m upset and disappointed with myself for not picking up on your real distress and I’m sorry for handling it in the worst possible way. You aren’t here so I’m hoping you got home safely. Please call me or if you don’t want to talk, text me. I just need to know that you’re fine. You were my responsibility and I totally blew it. Please just let me know you’re okay and I’m sorry, I am so, so sorry.” Jerry looked at the phone as he ended the call. He hoped that he sounded sincere and apologetic in the message. 

He was trying to smooth things over, he was a master at manipulation and in this case, he was going to have to work extra hard to fix things. He may never get to play with Neal again but he had to keep Neal convinced that he was really a good guy that got in over his head playing out his “role” so Neal didn’t start saying things about him. He had to keep his reputation as a decent guy, Neal could screw it up with just a few words. The community could be very quick to ostracize someone that took advantage and Jerry had tried to do that and then abandoned his sub. That is one of the things that could easily wreck his reputation in the community. He was doing damage control and he hoped it would be enough.

He almost wanted to hit up the message boards and get his side out first so he could control the way it looked but he knew that was a bad idea. If he did that and Neal didn’t say anything people would think about it and if Neal did say something it would be his word against Neal’s and that could make things more difficult to fix as people took sides. The best thing he could do was wait and hope that his message was taken as a genuine and heartfelt apology and the Neal would just let it go.  
***

Neal woke to the scent of coffee and the ache of an interesting night that he had been missing for too long. He heard Peter talking to someone and remembered the events leading up to this point. He was at a loss; how did he deal with it? Should he just pretend like it was any other day or should he thank Peter for taking care of him? He didn’t want to make Peter feel uncomfortable since he pretty much got thrown into a whole new side of Neal’s life that had he had never known about before. 

Neal noticed that there was a bottle of water and a couple of Advil on the bedside table. Peter was being very thoughtful. El was a lucky woman to have him, actually it ran both ways Peter was lucky to have her too. He took a few Advil and slowly got out of bed. He put on some loose pants and a t-shirt, it was time to face Peter and see how this was going to go.

He walked out to the kitchen table feeling a bit stiff from the night before. Peter had his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder and still managed to hand him a cup of coffee. Peter was talking to someone and Neal knew it had to be El on the other side of the conversation by the subject matter. Taking a sip of coffee, he wandered over to the couch and sat gingerly. He didn’t hurt nearly as much as he expected too but his skin felt a bit tight and warm, usually these were the signs of a really good night or a pretty bad one. Today he just wasn’t feeling much emotionally, it was almost like he was still a bit disconnected. He actually felt decent, like he had some distance from the situation and didn’t have to think about it.

Neal picked up his phone and noticed there were a few missed calls and messages, quite a few were from Peter, a couple from Mozzie and there tucked in with them was a message from Jerry. Neal wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it. He couldn’t just ignore it so he bothered to listen. It sounded like Jerry was really sorry for having freaked out, had Neal really shocked him that badly by calling the scene? He found it a bit surprising but if it was all just a role play and Neal had safe worded it could have been enough to freak someone out. He hadn’t been sure in the moment if Jerry had been really threatening to do some of the things he was talking about or if he had been indulging in a bit of role play. If Jerry was only role playing and Neal thought it was real and overreacted was it really anyone’s fault? They both could have misinterpreted the situation and instead of pausing to talk about it Neal called out his safe word. Jerry had stopped and then left thinking… well who knows what of even if Jerry was thinking if he was really freaked out he might have just panicked and not thought about it at all. 

Neal didn’t think he’d ever have a scene with Jerry again but he could give him the benefit of the doubt and at least reassure him that he was indeed home and doing fine. They could put this behind them as a learning experience and use the knowledge for better communication with whomever they saw next. That sounded reasonable to Neal so he shot off a text to Jerry letting him know that. He took another sip of coffee and thought about whether he should bring up the subject with Peter. Maybe he should just have his coffee and take his cues from how Peter brought up the subject, if he brought it up. 

***

Jerry was pleased when he got Neal’s text, it looked like he wasn’t going to have to do any damage control to save his reputation, Neal was taking his message as a sincere apology and accepted his reasoning without question. He’d have to be a lot more careful in the future. As a sort of bonus Neal hadn’t totally shut down the lines of communication. Not only was his reputation fine but he might be able to weasel his way back into Neal’s good graces given some time, patience and more than a little luck. He’d have to give it some thought, Neal was beautiful and would make not only a great sub, but he’d look good on his arm as his partner, that is once he was properly trained. He could wait and consider Neal a long-term goal, in the meanwhile he was going to have to find someone to have a play date with. There were a few pain sluts he knew that liked what he could dish out when he was in this mood, they would get what they wanted and he could bleed out a little of his frustration, things weren’t looking so bad at the moment.

***  
“Neal, do you want to talk about last night? I wasn’t sure how you want to handle this; do I need to call someone so you can file charges?” Peter asked quietly as he sat down next to Neal.

“No need, it was all consensual and partly just poor communication. It went further than I wanted and we didn’t discuss all the particulars as well as we should have. I’m fine now and good to move on. Thank you for last night, I really appreciate you staying to take care of me.” Neal said quietly. He really hoped that Peter knew just how much he had done and how truly needed he had been. Neal was sure that if Peter hadn’t shown up he would have taken hours to pull himself together enough to get cleaned up and get home, although Jerry had said he’d gone back so he probably would have looked after Neal when he got there. 

“As long as you’re good, you’re my concern here. If you say it’s fine, I’ll let it go. I should get home to El, are you sure you're going to be okay?”

“Go home, Peter. Say hello to El and have a good weekend. Thanks again for taking care of me last night. I’m sorry I disrupted your weekend.” Neal said with his smile just a little bit too wide but Peter took it at face, value drank down the last of his coffee and left.

Neal all but melted into the couch as soon as he was alone. He didn’t want to burden Peter and he needed to think things through, did he even want to try to find someone else? Now that Peter knew a little bit about his desires he didn’t have to sneak around as much. Peter didn’t seem to be too judgmental about the fact Neal had allowed himself to be restrained and paddled by another man. Peter was handling it well so Neal figured that was one less thing to concern himself with, right now his concern was for a hot shower, some food and spending the day relaxing and trying to figure out how to make sure that next time he goes out for a little “play time” everyone is on the same page and there isn’t a repeat of the previous night.

As he sat there he realized that Peter had never brought up why he went looking for him in the first place, he sent Peter a text just to make sure that whatever Peter had thought of stayed at the front of his mind so they could discuss it some time. Neal grabbed his lap top and checked a few e-mails while sipping on the last of his coffee. There were a few alerts letting him know that he had messages waiting and that there was some sort of party coming up later in the week. Neal pondered it a moment, it wasn’t like he had to hide this side of himself from Peter anymore but on the other hand he wasn’t really up for any play either. He’d consider going for the social aspect and even that would hinge on how he felt later. He RSVP'ed as a maybe and went through the rest of his messages.

The incoming text message alert startled him a bit as he was wading through some on line shopping sites and making a list of things he wanted to pick up in the future. He reached for the phone and saw that Jerry had sent him a text. It was another apology and an invite out for coffee so that he could apologize in person. Neal pondered it a bit and thought if nothing else he could get a little more of an explanation for what happened and some insight on how to avoid problems with future scenes. He sent a reply saying that he’d meet up for coffee and some talk. They agreed the sooner it was done the better so Neal found himself heading to a local coffee shop to meet Jerry around 4:30.

Neal arrived a little early and got a latte, he looked around and though it was a little busy there were open seats, he grabbed a table by the door and waited until Jerry arrived. It wasn’t a very long wait and Jerry waved at him, got a coffee, and joined him.

“Neal, I just want to say I’m beyond sorry for how things happened. It was my fault and I really messed up, can you ever forgive me?” Jerry asked as he reached across the table and lightly covered Neal’s hand as it rested near his cup. Neal felt his heart beat pick up a little at the touch, he wasn’t sure if Jerry was just being gentlemanly, if he was just a genuinely touchy guy or if he was trying to use some of the seduction techniques he, himself had used in the past to put marks at ease.

“Jerry, I can’t let you take all the blame, I’m sure that we should have discussed things further. We just didn’t really cover all the bases and communicate as well as we should have. I do agree that leaving me was a huge mistake. I was in no shape to try to cope on my own and I was really lucky to have gotten home without any problems.” Neal said not wanting to let Jerry know that they would have been interrupted by Peter had they still been involved at that point. In fact, he had to remember to have a talk with Peter to work out some way to let him know when it would be a bad idea to just show up, something classier than a sock or tie on the doorknob.

“Neal, I am really sorry, it was intense and then you called Red and I sort of panicked. I’ve never had anyone I’ve played with do that. I responded badly and as soon as I got a hold of myself and realized what I had done I came straight back, but you had already gone. I know I can never make it up to you and I broke your trust before I even really had it and for that I’m so sorry.” Jerry said with a hint of a shake in his voice and his thumb lightly stroking Neal’s hand. 

Neal was beginning to think that Jerry wasn’t very experienced at being a Dom, maybe he should give the man the benefit of the doubt and forgive him. Once he did they could then get on with their lives and find what they were looking for.

“It happens, you never know how you are going to react in a situation until you have to respond. This time you made a mistake, next time it won’t be such a surprise and you will respond better. I’m sorry it had to happen while it was the two of us but at least no one was injured and we both are fine.” Neal put his hand on top of Jerry’s to reassure him that they really were fine. 

“Thanks for meeting me and I am sorry. It was nice to talk this over and get it out in the open. I feel like we can move past this and even if you never trust me in a scene again, I’d like to be friends.” Jerry said looking directly into Neal's eyes, trying to put as much sincerity into his expression as he could. He was delighted that Neal had agreed to meet him, it gave him hope that maybe he could worm his way back into Neal's good graces. 

“I'm sure that we can be friendly, and maybe build a friendship. We should start over and get to know each other outside of this incident. It was a bad experience but we can learn from it.” Neal said as he reached for his latte with the hand that Jerry wasn't touching.

“Thank you for even considering it. I know I screwed up royally and that I made mistakes that are almost unforgivable. Neal, you are amazing and whoever is blessed enough to treat you right and make you their own is going to be the luckiest man alive.” Jerry said as he caressed Neal's hand gently. 

Neal felt himself blush a little and he shrugged. “I'm nothing special, I told you what I used to do when I let you know about the anklet. I'm not the best person to hook up with, I can be trouble.”

“You are so much more than your past. The future is wide open, I wish I hadn't messed it all up because I would love to be the one to show you what you can be and what could be yours. I wish I hadn't lost the opportunity to be yours. You are worth more than you could ever know.” Jerry knew he was laying it on thick but if he could crack open Neal's heart just a tiny but he could work his way back in. It would be a challenge trying to con a man that could very well pick up on the fact he was being conned. Neal was an expert and Jerry was hoping he was up to the challenge of manipulating Neal into his life on a full-time basis. 

They kept the conversation light for the last few minutes and parted. Jerry managed to draw Neal in for a brief hug before they left. Neal was still feeling a little apprehensive, Jerry seemed sincere and upset by the events from their last meeting. Neal wanted to believe him but something wasn't lining up.

***  
Neal had wandered a little bit and ended up at a boutique he knew of but had never shopped in before. If he was going to be social and go to the party that was coming up he was in the right place to shop for just the perfect outfit. This place was classy and yet had that sort of subtle kinky feel that most other shops couldn't come close too. One of his last partners before Peter had finally caught him had suggested they shop here together some time. Marco had never had the chance to bring him here. They had taken a bit of a break thanks to a museum heist of Alex's going wrong and then Kate breezed in and snared Neal, so they never had the chance to get back to each other. 

Neal started to reminisce about his time with Marco. They had been almost perfect for each other, only Kate had surpassed Marco when it came to feeling like things were right. Maybe Neal should see about finding Marco? No, that wouldn't be a good idea with Peter and the anklet still in play. Marco was mostly law abiding but he had his less than legal income streams, nothing that hurt anyone, just a little misappropriation and diverted funds. He thought of Marco's dark eyes, bright smile, and that thick curly hair he loved to wind around his fingers. When he was free he'd find Marco, if they were both unattached he'd see if getting back together was an option. 

He thought fondly of the days the used to spend enjoying each other’s company and by the time he'd actually gotten around to opening the door to the boutique his body was aching for release. Even after all these years just thinking of Marco got him all stirred up.

He adjusted his pants subtlety and took in the atmosphere of the boutique. Everything here was posh and just oozed tasteful wealth. Marco had been right, this wasn't your typical BDSM shop, this was high end and elegant. Neal felt like coming here had been a step in the right direction. 

He hadn't been in the shop very long when a tastefully dressed gentleman appeared and inquired if he would be needing assistance. Instead of replying that he was just looking Neal decided on the spot that he wanted to go out to the party and he wanted to look exquisite when he did so. 

After a brief conversation with Gene, the sales associate, they had found a well-tailored cobalt silk shirt, paired it with buttery soft black leather trousers and wide wrist cuffs without the O-rings so they were more like a medieval vambrace than an actual cuff, they were the same leather as the pants. The attire didn't make Neal appear to be overly dominant or submissive, it was perfect for attending a party of this nature when one wasn't sure about how he wanted the evening to conclude. He would look like he belonged but he wouldn't be obvious about his preferred submissive role. It would make getting the feel for the atmosphere easier and he could play at being dominant if he felt the need to hide his true self.

Neal was very happy that he had decided to get out and enjoy an evening indulging his kinky side. He was sure that he would just go and chat, maybe watch a few scenes and return home with some need ideas to consider next time he had a partner he could trust not to harm him. He was prepared for the possibility of running into Jerry, it was one of the reasons he had decided that talking it over with him was a good idea, they were going to see each other at some point, so being on speaking terms if nothing else was the best course of action. Neal headed back to his apartment with his purchases to plan for his night out.

***

Jerry left the coffee shop trying to find just the right angle to get back into Neal's life. He realized while he was talking to Neal that Neal seemed to think that Jerry was less confident than he actually was. This could work in his favor he decided, if he played up his loss of confidence in front of Neal could be the way to manipulate Neal back to him. If he could convince Neal that he had helped derail Jerry's confidence than he could manipulate him into feeling responsible. If he could make Neal feel that he had helped to put holes in Jerry's self-confidence than Jerry could use that to make Neal feel as though he was responsible to help rebuild it. 

Jerry started plotting just how to work it all out, he would have to start slowly. First, he had to convince Neal that he was the reason for his confidence problem and then set it up for Neal to help him rebuild it. Maybe he could convince Neal to play out easy scenes in a safe, semi-public setting to help him restore his confidence. Start off with a little over the knee spanking with no bondage involved and work up to more. He would have to let Neal think he was helping to rebuild Jerry's lost confidence and trust in himself, when in reality Jerry would be slowly getting Neal used to him and manipulating Neal into trusting him more. Jerry knew it was going to be a challenge to get Neal to be with him but this plan could work. It will be a long process, Jerry wants to win in the end so the time and work will be worth it. Neal as his will be the prize and Neal under him, with him and belonging to him will be worth almost anything. Jerry went home with the beginnings of a long-term plan to maneuver Neal into a long-lasting place as Jerry's submissive. 

**

The week was pretty typical, nothing really exciting happened. That was fine with Neal since he had been looking forward to the party. It was almost time to call it a weekend and he was hoping that it stayed quiet. He didn't want anything interfering with his plans. When 5:00 pm came and there wasn't anything new he said goodbye to everyone and hoped they all had a great weekend and headed home to get ready for his evening.

Neal took his time pampering himself and getting dressed for the event, it was at a club that was upscale but not exclusive as the party was listed on the website's event calendar. He didn't mind paying the entrance fee for the night, he hoped to get a feel for the people that went to these events. He could see if he wanted to get involved or if he just wanted to go back to skirting the edges of the community and find a partner in another way. 

During the taxi ride to the party he considered the possibility of running into Jerry and realized that he was still not feeling right about him. They had talked things through but there was still something that Neal felt uneasy about. Maybe it bothered him because it was still fresh and there hadn't been much time for his feelings to settle? He would have to make sure that he kept his wits about him, sometimes instinct was worth listening to. 

He paid his cover charge, read the event rules, they were pretty easy to understand... things like no total nudity, no penetration, no bodily fluids, no photography, obey the “Dungeon Monitors”, there were quite a few that made sense as this was a technically a public space so they had to abide by local laws for the type of venue. After reading the rules he signed that he understood them and went in. The club was tastefully decorated and there were a wide variety of people mostly chatting and being social, it was early yet so he wasn't surprised. He got a ginger ale at the bar and wandered around to see what the atmosphere was like. He also wanted to see if there was anyone he knew from the site around. 

Neal noticed there were quite a few people that were checking him out, he enjoyed the attention and noted a few that he might want to talk with later. He was here mostly to just get a feel for the event, but he would keep an open mind in case he met someone. He hadn't seen Jerry so maybe he wasn't coming, he had checked the RSVP list and Jerry wasn't on it but that didn't mean he wasn't coming. 

He found a comfortable place to sit and watched the crowd. It was still early so the people weren't doing anything other than being social and setting up for more intense activities. There were a few pieces of equipment set up in strategic places, out of the way yet visible. Some of the Saint Andrew's Crosses and spanking benches looked very appealing, Neal was looking forward to watching a few scenes. He wasn't ready to dive in and give a total stranger a chance but he was able to enjoy the surroundings and hopefully he'd meet a few people and start to get the feel for how things worked here.

* * *

Jerry spotted Neal sitting in a comfortable looking chair, he was talking with a woman in a forest green dress. They were both looked like they were enjoying their conversation and Jerry started to get jealous when he noticed a man kneeling by the woman's side. Jerry took a breath, she had a sub so maybe the conversation wasn't heading anywhere. He wanted Neal as his own but he had to be subtle to make it happen, having someone lure Neal away wasn't part of the plan but if he interrupted that would make him look bad. Jerry knew he had to keep himself in check to make his plan come together. He'd keep an eye on Neal but he'd wait to see if Neal saw him and approached on his own.

**  
Neal had seen the woman and her submissive heading over to the seating area he was occupying. He smiled and she headed over and asked if they could join him. She introduced herself as Caressa and her companion as Jules. Jules held her drink for her and when she sat he gracefully knelt at her feet.

“You are a new face, I hope you enjoy your evening.” she said as she touched Jules' shoulder, he held the drink out for her to take.

“This is my first time at this particular venue. So far, it's been a new experience. I haven't been to many public gatherings of this sort.” Neal answered trying to sound more relaxed than he was. The longer the evening went on the more exciting things had become. The socializing had continued but there were people now actively using the various stations set up and it was very visually enticing.

Neal was getting a little worked up and wished he had someone he could trust just a little to help him enjoy the activities going on around him. 

Caressa looked closely at Neal, they hadn't been talking long but she could tell he was getting excited by the various scenes going on around them. The really intricate and heavy stuff hadn't started yet but she could tell Neal wanted something. She couldn't get a feel for his orientation, he looked like he could be a Dominant or submissive the way he was dressed, he could be a switch and he wasn't obvious about his preferences. She thought a few moments and tapped Jules on the shoulder, he looked up at her and she nodded at Neal. Jules looked at Neal and nodded back, he was open to negotiating a scene with Neal.

“Neal, it looks like you want to play. Jules and I are willing to let you join us if you would like. Nothing too heavy but maybe a little getting to know each other if you'd like?” She suggested.

“That is very kind of you but I'm mostly here to feel things out. I'm sort of coming back from a bit of a bad time. I'm not sure how I want to proceed.” He said as he looked to the floor between his feet.

Caressa was upset hearing this and she could tell Jules was too. They were concerned that something had happened and it must have shown in their expressions.

“Don't worry, it was just some miscommunication. Nothing to terrible and no injury done. I just don't know what I want at this point.” Neal tried to assure the couple he was fine.

“Neal, I'm sorry if you had a bad experience. I can't promise that it won't ever happen again but if you want to try we can do a little something right here in view so that the monitors can watch out for all of us.” She didn't want to push too hard but Neal was both of their type and they tended toward fun and a lighter form of play than some of the other people in attendance did. It might be good for Neal to be involved in something easy going. 

“You speak for him?” he asked.

“Yes, but Jules can speak for himself. Jules what do you think?” she directed the question at the man kneeling.

“I would be thrilled if we can find an activity that we can all enjoy. I trust Caressa to know my wants, needs, and desires tonight. We just need to know yours so we all have a great time.” Jules answered making sure he made eye contact with Neal

“What do you suggest?” Neal asked, hoping that it wasn't something too intense. 

“Well I know what Jules enjoys and his limits, I know myself but I don't know what you like. Do you like to be dominated? Do you like to dominate? So first we need to see what you like.” she steered the conversation back to Neal.

“I wasn't planning on doing anything tonight but you are right. I do want to enjoy something, I like to be submissive. I'm not into heavy pain play but I enjoy a light spanking or even some flogging. I usually like bondage but at the moment I'd rather not be restrained.” Neal stated, watching the couple's reactions.

“We can work with that; do you mind a woman in a dominant position? Jules also enjoys being submissive so I'd be in charge unless you switch.” Caressa reached over and after Neal nodded his consent she gently placed her hand on his knee.

“Shall we discuss what you want Neal? Do you want me to help you have a little fun tonight? I promise that whatever we decide on I will go no further than what you tell me you want and I will respect your limits.” She said plainly.

Neal looked at her and then at Jules. They weren't what he wanted for long term but what was offered was just what he needed right then. Light and easy... nothing that was going to be intimidating. 

“Yes, I'd like to enjoy your company tonight. Let's talk over our limits, wants and safewords.” Neal said quietly, he wanted this but he was apprehensive.

“That's good. Jules, can you please get us all some water and we can negotiate what we are all going to do.” Caressa asked Jules. Jules smiled and got up from kneeling with more grace than Neal expected.

Caressa and Neal talked and it was decided that they would do a little spanking with Neal laying over the spanking horse, in his under ware but not tied or restrained. Jules would hold Neal's hands and provide comfort and for moral support. He would also stop the scene if Neal looked like he was getting uncomfortable. It was just another way to reassure Neal that things would go well.

* *  
Jerry looked over and saw that Neal was taking his pants off, which meant that he had found someone he was willing to be vulnerable with. This could be a good thing, the couple that he was speaking with were probably not looking for a long-term thing so letting Neal have this experience wouldn't harm his chances at getting Neal back and it might help him to have Neal a bit more experienced in how other people do things. He could find a way to turn this in his favor, he knew how to get things to go his way.

Looking a Neal bent over the spanking horse in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs with a man holding his hands and looking into his eyes was a delicious sight. He might have to find an occasional third person when Neal was solidly his to do this sort of thing.

* *

Caressa got Neal and Jules positioned, asking Neal several times if he was comfortable and ready. Neal was soft spoken but said he was comfortable and ready. She started out slowly with just some caressing and light taps on Neal's ass. Slowly she increased the intensity and she kept looking over at Jules who was keeping an eye on Neal's facial expressions. He gave her a smile to let her know that Neal was getting into the spanking. She figured that between her attention to Neal's body language and Jules keeping an eye on his face they wouldn't even come close to Neal needing to use his safe word. She wanted to make sure that this scene was just right so that Neal would enjoy himself and feel safe. She was making sure he was well taken care of and she didn't push his limits. If she broke his trust he might never try again and she could tell he needed this to let go, she could see the stress he was under. 

Neal was making little sounds and his body language was saying that he was getting to the right mind set, she increased her tempo and force a little more and was rewarded with a few more noises and a visible release of tension in his muscles. She kept it up for a little longer varying where her blows fell and then after four hard slaps on alternating butt checks she started to rub and caress his ass. Letting him come down from the feelings and then she and Jules helped him up and back to the sitting area. 

Caressa sat down pulling Neal down next to her to cuddle, Jules handed her a bottle of water and pulled a small fleece coverlet out of her large purse which he covered Neal with. Once he got them settled he went over the horse and using the wipes the were provided at each station he wiped off the sweat the was left from their scene. It was hygienic and part of the rules for being able to use the equipment. Once he was done he went back and sat on the other side of Neal and cuddled him as well. 

This was the feeling Neal had been missing. He needed someone to occasionally take control, the pain was nice and he liked the sensations. The release of the pent-up emotions and the relaxation that a good scene brought to him and then the aftercare and cuddling, this is what he missed. He needed it more than he had originally thought. When he tried to go without it too long he got all tangled up in his own thoughts. He was amazed that having Jules hold his hands and comfort him while Caressa delivered the blows just enhanced the entire experience. He had felt wanted, desired and was able to let go far more than he had in a long time. 

He knew he needed to find someone that he could have this with in a trusting relationship so he could really just let go totally. Caressa and Jules were great but they had each other, she had suggested they could play together sometimes but eventually he did want a partner of his own that he place his trust in. 

It took almost forty-five minutes for the three of them to settle back into the here and now. Neal had finished a bottle of water and felt grounded and content. They both helped him get his pants back on, Jules asking if it was all right to feel the heat that was coming off Neal's ass and Neal smiling and letting him. Caressa did good work, it was warm but there was no bruising. Jules was hopeful that Neal would be willing to trade places and hold him while Caressa took care of him. Even if he didn't get a turn tonight it was beautiful to see Caressa enjoying herself.

Caressa seem to pick up on Jules' thoughts. “Neal, would you like to help me with Jules? Would you like to hold his hands while I take care of him? You don't have to feel obligated.”

“I would be happy to be a part of that.” Neal said with a shy smile.

“Jules, shall we?”

“Yes, I would love that.” Jules started to remove his pants, leaving his briefs on, had they been at home he'd be totally naked but this was a public venue. 

Caressa dug out some cuffs and connectors and handed the wrist cuffs to Neal. Neal looked at them a moment and when Jules held out his wrists Neal buckled them on.

“Jules likes to be restrained and I like giving him what he likes.” Caressa said as she buckled the ankle restraints.

She then moved them over to a lower spanking bench and had Neal sit on the end and had Jules lay with his head in Neal's lap. She used the connectors to attach the cuffs to eye-bolts set into the bench for that purpose.

“Neal, I'm going to go a bit harder on Jules than I did with you. He likes it and so we are all on the same page we'll use the red/yellow/green system for safewords. If it gets to be too much for you, you can use the safeword too. It's there for any of us, if it gets to be too intense for you don't feel bad if you need to back off.” Caressa explains as she starts to slowly warm up Jules with light slaps.

Neal was enjoying watching her spank and eventually paddle Jules with the small paddle that she got out of her bag. Neal began to wonder just what else was in there. When Caressa gave Jules' ass a hard swat and Jules cried out. She asked him how he felt and he said he was green. She stated up again and after a moment Neal noticed that Jules was starting to cry. He looked over at Caressa and she had noticed as well.

“Relax Neal, he needs this, it's the way he lets go. If he wasn't fine he'd let us know and I can tell when he's done.” Caressa said as she started winding down a little and soon she stopped and started to rub Jules' ass. She then started to un-clip Jules, she led both the men back to the couch and had Neal sit with Jules curled next to him. She then used the coverlet that they had used for Neal to cover Jules and she gave Neal a new bottle of water.

“He'll need to cuddle and have some water. I'm going to pick up and I'll join you in a minute. Take care of him for me, won't you?” She asked, Neal nodded and opened the bottle so Jules could take a few sips. 

Once Caressa cleaned up she joined them for a cuddle session.

“Neal, I hope you had a good time and even if you didn't find exactly what you wanted, we both hope you got a little of what you needed. Thanks for sharing yourself with us and I hope that we can be friends.” Caressa said as she helped get Jules back into his pants. He was very relaxed and seemed a little out of it.

“Thank you both, I really had a nice time.”

“I'm going to get him home, you are on FetLife right? My user name is MstrssCaress1977, friend me. This way if nothing else you'll know someone local and I can introduce you around.” she got her bag and gave Neal a kiss on each cheek and a card with her email address and user name on it.

“Have a good night and if you stay be safe. See you around!” She and Jules left, Jules letting himself be led out, still looking a bit dreamy.

* *  
Jerry had been keeping an eye on Neal and noticed the woman had gone easy on him. Maybe that was a good idea, when he got to play with Neal again he was going to have to go slow. Not only did he have to build Neal's trust in him but he'd have to make Neal think that he was going slow and getting used to what Neal needed. If he went slow and built up to what he liked, he could gently push Neal into how heavy he liked to play. If he went slowly enough Neal might not notice how it was going, adrenaline could be a wonderful thing.

Jerry took a sip of his drink, he wasn't playing tonight so a little scotch wouldn't be an issue. He was making sure he got some good observations of Neal so he can correctly plan to get him back.

He had more of an idea of how to proceed now, he just needed to find a way to open the lines of communication again so he can start to work on winning Neal's trust.

**

Neal was relaxed, if a bit sore. He was glad he had taken the chance to scene with Caressa and Jules. He stayed to watch a few of the other scenes, some were very arousing. He spoke with a few other people and was going to be adding a few new friends from the site to his list.

Over all it had been a good night and he was happy that he took the chance on going to the party. He'd have to plan to go to another, as long as he was careful he could enjoy himself and maybe meet the type of partner he needed. He got a taxi back home and after carefully taking off his new clothes he hopped in the shower for a quick clean up and went to bed.

The next morning, he was more refreshed than he had been in a long time. He lounged around his apartment for a bit. Around noon he figured it was time to do something for the day so he got dressed and headed out for brunch. He thought about going back to see Gene at the boutique, a few more nice outfits might be needed for future events. It made sense to have other things to wear and Gene seemed pretty knowledgeable and steered him right the first time. It was a beautiful day so he decided that a shopping trip was just what he needed. Now that he had a little more money to play with, thanks to Mozzie helping him access his less than legal funds and the bakery, which had turned out to be a decent investment he could indulge in a few nice things. 

He did a bit of shopping nothing too fancy. When he got to the boutique and Gene was there just finishing up with a customer and smiled when he walked in. He handed the customer he was taking care of his sales slip and the other man thanked him and left with a nice sized parcel.

“Mr. Caffrey, it's good to see you back and so soon. Did the outfit work out for you?” He asked walking over to greet Neal. 

Neal thought that this place was worth the money, the service was excellent and they had remembered who he was. Gene also hadn't said his name until they were alone in the shop, discrete in case someone had a reputation to uphold. 

“Gene, it was splendid. I was hoping for a few more pieces to add to my wardrobe.” Neal said shaking the man's outstretched hand.

“I think we can accommodate you. Let me see what I think would look good on you. Have a seat while I pull together somethings and help yourself to a coffee or tea. I'll be just a moment.” Gene suggested and gestured to a comfortable chair and a small coffee bar.

* * *  
Peter was worried about Neal. It hadn't been very long since he had found Neal alone in a hotel room after an intimate encounter that turned out unpleasant and in Peter's opinion unpleasant wasn't a strong enough word. Every time he tried to get Neal to open up about it Neal just said it was fine and that Peter had nothing to worry about. He wanted to help Neal but he wasn't sure how other than offer to talk. He was concerned for Neal's safety now that he knew what he was interested in. 

The more he thought about it the more concerned and upset he became. He knew that a J. Fontaine had rented the room he found Neal in, he had a description of tall, blond with a dazzling smile from the hotel desk clerk. It wouldn't hurt to do a little digging and see who it was that Neal had gotten involved with. He might be able to spare Neal some grief in the long run. He decided he needed to get a first name out of Neal for Mr. Fontaine so he could run a check on the man, just in case. 

**  
Neal was looking forward to the next party. He had friended Caressa and Jules on Fet, and started to put together a few outfits that made him feel good and that fit into the atmosphere. He was still very much the impeccable dresser and that showed in the new clothes. Gene had been extraordinarily helpful in pulling things together. The way his outfits were put together one could tell that Neal had class and taste, yet they still fit into the scene. He still didn’t wear anything to make his preferences known, he didn’t feel that it was necessary. He liked to keep his options open. He preferred to be submissive, but sometimes it felt like the right person could awaken his sporadic desire to be dominant.

**

The three weeks that passed between parties were exceedingly hectic and both Peter and Neal were feeling the stress. Peter had El to go home to and she was good at helping him unwind and she was very insightful. She had managed to tease out the story of what happened with Neal and was trying to help Peter sort through his feelings. They both wanted to help Neal, Peter had tracked down Jerry Fontaine’s name and pulled his record. There wasn’t anything to make him stand out as a bad guy, so Peter decided Neal was right. He didn’t need to go after him legally, it was probably, as Neal said a miscommunication. 

El was quick to point out that Neal was most likely a bit embarrassed to discuss the situation. He was sort of “outed” as being with another man as well as being kinky. That was enough to set anyone off their game for a bit. It was her opinion that Neal wasn’t going to broach the subject, he was waiting to see how Peter reacted. If her husband wanted to talk to Neal about it, he was going to have to bring it up. 

Peter agreed but he also didn’t see a need to bring it up as Mr. Fontaine didn’t have anything disturbing on his record. What Neal did on his own time was his own business, El gave him a look to let him know that she knew he didn’t really mean that. She knew he husband, he wasn’t going to just let things go. She was going to find a way to get the three of them to discuss this, the guys needed to communicate and she was the mediator. No matter what emerges from the discussion, it had to happen. Peter was letting Neal’s potential to be hurt get to him and that was a distraction. She needed her husband to keep his thoughts on coming home from work safe, she needed him too much to let him be distracted and maybe get hurt on the job. She’d need to step in and get the guys talking so Peter can put his mind at ease. She wasn’t sure she was up for the challenge, but she would have to be. She needed Peter, and Peter needed Neal, it didn’t hurt that she knew that both she and Peter found Neal attractive, maybe that was the angle she needed to approach this. Could they possibly work this into a relationship? She’d have to find out what Neal thought of them, she was sure that with good communication they could find a way to sort things out. It would be a touch unorthodox but if it worked, they could all be happy. 

**  
Jerry logged in and saw that Neal had RSVP’ed for the party on Saturday night. He had considered going and this just made it a definite plan. The more he got to interact with Neal, the more comfortable Neal would be around him. He needed to work his way into Neal’s trust. Once he was there he could work on subtly training him to be his perfect submissive partner. It was going to be a long, slow process but Neal would be his and he would be perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> I ended it where I did because it was more ominous that way (dun, dun, dun...) I know this isn't where I want it to be yet but, I'm getting it into position to get our happy OT3 together, bear with me. It'll get there...
> 
> I'm sorry it took as long as it did, but in my defense I moved three times including into a different state, got a degree and am working on another... School is a lot different when you're in your mid 40's and living in a dorm room. 
> 
> Sorry again for the wait, I'm hoping to be faster with the next part.
> 
> 7/8/17 I edited a few errors I found while reading it over in preparation for the next part, nothing new. Also FetLife does exist and the user name for Caressa is made up. As far as I know it's not an actual current username.


End file.
